CM directs officials to create awareness on farm ponds

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday directed the district collectors to create awareness among rural people about the benefit of farm ponds. Presiding over a video conferencing with the district collectors at the State Secretariat here, Patnaik also declared to observe an awareness week from May 16 to 23 with an objective to collect five lakhs applications from the villagers requesting to get farm ponds in their lands under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

He stressed on implementation of digging of farm ponds in rural areas under NREGS programmes.
If digging of farm ponds properly executed, it will greatly contribute to drought mitigation and also pisciculture at suitable places, he pointed out.

Terming NREGS as a demand driven programme, the chief minister laid emphasis on digging farm ponds as these would not only be the source of protective irrigation for the cultivable lands during Khrif season, but also people can cultivate fish in pond water and vegetables on its embankments.

He asked the collectors to see that there should not be any irregularities in the payment of wages and the beneficiaries should get their wages through bank and postal pass books within maximum of seven days time.

He also instructed that the collectors should review the implementations of programmes under NREGS once a month and RDCs (Revenue Divisional Commissioner) once a week and submit report to the panchayati raj department. This apart, Patnaik also stressed on making plans considering the needs of the people.

Among others, agriculture production Commissioner Rabi Narayn Senapati, principal secretary to chief minister Bijay Kumar Patnaik and panchayati raj secretary Surendranath Tripaty were present in the conferencing.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, panchayati raj minister Prafulla Samal said that punitive action to be taken against those who would be found guilty in doing irregularities in implementation of programmes under NREGS.